Textile sector which is the leading at the sectors of Turkey producing the most value- added, is keeping on being a locomotive for country economy which works with more than 750 thousands of personnel and with 28.5 billion dollar export it carried out. Renewing of production technology which is used at non- stop changing and developing textile sector increases the necessity of qualified personnel of the sector day by day.
According to ‘’ Global Business World Tendencies’’ research which was carried out by Randstad that is a human researches consultancy company, 60% of the firms have problems at finding qualified personnel. According to the research results, this case is especially shown as a direct factor which can affect Turkey’s growth potential in case of not meeting the required qualified personnel at textile and ready wear sectors.
The Importance of Textile Education
Thanks to the investments made for the machine parks at textile sector in Turkey which is one of the Turkey’s biggest supplier, Turkey reached an important point in the world after the beginning of 1990s. Sector needs qualified work labour to be able to protect this position, to be able manufacture high value- added products by adapting to changing economic conditions. To educate these qualified personnel, it needs to give an education which complies with the expectations of the sector by popularizing technical and vocational education and increasing the quality. Ministry of National Education, Higher Education Institution and private sector have many studies on this subjects.
Among the studies made on this subject by Ministry of National Education, according to the Medium- Term Plan (OVP) which includes 2014- 2018, the share of vocational education share and quality will be increased within next 4 years. Targets at OVP which includes regulations for providing active participation in terms of administrative and financial in the process of vocational education of private sector and trade bodies are to increase the precision to work labour demand with education and to make training qualified work labour as the fundamental target. Within this frame, the harmony between education system and work labour marketplace with the purpose of training the qualified personnel who are demanded by the sector is determined to adopt entrepreneurship culture at lifelong learning perspective and strengthen this via gaining main skills and competences and update programs in the direction of new technological advances.
Textile Education
With textile vocational high schools educating technician and intermediate personnel which are bound up with Ministry of National Education, there are 15 textile engineering including four years and 13 fashion design departments including two years education being active within High Education Institution. Apart from these institutions, Vocational and Technical Training Centers (METEM) within Ministry of National Education provide qualified personnel to the sector.
And many firms carrying on business in the sector are trying to meet this situation with the trainings they give within their firms. Piserro which carries on business in Kahramanmaraş is among these institutions. Uğur Kısakürek who is the CEO of Piserro mentioned the troubles they had at the sector by saying ‘’ People are complaining not to find job, but we are difficult at finding qualified work labour as being garment industry manufacturers’’. He said they were trying to solve the problem with the trainings they gave within their firms. Kısakürek who stated that they taught work on the control strips directed to research and development, they took the personnel who took 2- 3 months training were taken to the manufacture bands.
Hüseyin Cahit Gergerlioğlu who is the General Manager of Epengle which is the first velvet weaving factory carrying on business in Turkey said that they had trouble at finding qualified personnel and added his words ‘’We have mainly difficulty with the personnel who will take Office at weaving unit. People don’t consider textile as an occupation. And to prevent this, it needs to be trained by taking from the school. We prefer the grads from textile vocational high schools. We train them as weaver by putting to tests’’.
